Yahoo Inc., is in early discussions with major record labels over offering unprotected MP3s either for sale or for free as part of an ad-supported service which the company hopes to launch by the end of this year, two record company executives familiar with the talks said Wednesday. The talks, held as recently as last month, were preliminary because Yahoo is still working out the details, said the executives, who requested anonymity because of the discussions were confidential. Carrie Davis, a spokeswoman for Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo, said the company has often said it wants to offer music without copy protections and the subject has been part of its ongoing talks with record labels; however, Davis denied that discussions with record labels on the matter have stepped up in recent weeks or that anything is imminent. Representatives for the labels declined to comment.